Seismic surveying is used for identifying subterranean elements, such as hydrocarbon reservoirs, fresh water aquifers, gas injection reservoirs, and so forth. In a marine seismic surveying operation, seismic sources and seismic sensors are towed by one or more marine vessels, with the seismic sources and sensors towed through a body of water above a sea floor. The seismic sources are activated to generate seismic waves directed into the subterranean structure. Examples of seismic sources include air guns, vibrators, explosives, or other sources that generate seismic waves.
The seismic waves generated by a seismic source travel into the subterranean structure, with a portion of the seismic waves reflected back to the surface for receipt by seismic receivers (e.g., geophones, hydrophones, etc.). These seismic receivers produce signals that represent detected seismic waves. Signals from seismic receivers are processed to yield information about the content and characteristic of the subterranean structure.
Conventionally, inline positioning of a marine vessel towing a seismic spread (which can include seismic sensors and/or seismic sources) is performed manually by an operator adjusting the throttle on the bridge of the marine vessel. Inline positioning refers to positioning of the marine vessel along the direction of movement of the marine vessel for performing the seismic survey operation. However, performing the inline positioning of a marine vessel manually is typically inaccurate and does not take into account various environment factors, such as the specific vessel, the spread being towed by the vessel, and environment impact of sea waves and wind.